


I Won't Live Like This

by Jelliebean71



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Character Death, Huntington's Disease, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-19
Updated: 2014-03-19
Packaged: 2018-01-16 06:30:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1335493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jelliebean71/pseuds/Jelliebean71
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony is diagnosed with Huntington's Disease.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Won't Live Like This

When Tony was diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease, it was devastating to everyone close to him.  They all knew what that would mean for Tony, the loss of motor skill would cause him to depend on others and he had always made it clear that he didn’t want to be a burden to anyone.

Everyone’s reaction was different.  Bruce looked at Tony with pity, understanding, as a doctor, what would eventually happen.  Clint tried to joke, saying, “I guess you’re not as invincible as you thought.”  That just ended up making Tony more upset, so Natasha hit Clint in the arm, glaring at him and pulling Tony into a hug, showing a brief moment of weakness to them.  Thor asked if he could help, if he could take Tony to Asgard and have their healers help him, but Bruce told him that it wasn’t something that could be fixed that easily.  Pepper was upset, but had been expecting something to happen anyway – what with Tony’s drinking and self-destructive records.

But Steve.  Steve took it the worst.  They had been dating for a few months because Pepper had broken up with Tony and they were very close.  Bruce explained what would happen.  His memory and motor skills would go, his brain would deteriorate.  Tony’s brain was his life.  It was what paid his bills, so to speak.  Without it, without his creativity, he would be useless and nothing.  That was the worst part.

He had been diagnosed with five years to live.  That meant he only had five years left with Steve.  That was probably the second worst part.

He had gone to the doctor because Steve had forced him to.  He had broken his tenth coffee mug in a week and that concerned Steve.  Tony was never that clumsy.

So here they were.  Tony was laying in their bed, gulping down a bottle of liquor and watching some of the old Avengers footage.  He rested his head on the pillow and finished what was left, before chucking the empty bottle at the wall.  He let out a sob when the glass shattered and spread across the floor.

Steve quietly walked through the door, slipping onto their bed and sliding his arms around Tony.  He held Tony to his chest, softly rocking him. “It’s okay.  I know it hurts.  It’s okay, I love you.”

Tony broke.  His shoulders started shaking and he cried in anger and frustration and despair.  Steve just held him, slipping his fingers through Tony’s hair and petting his head.

“Will you go to sleep for me?  Please?  I need you to get some rest.” Steve asked, maneuvering them so Tony was lying back on the bed and Tony whined pathetically in protest.  Steve wiggled his body under the sheets so his chest was flush against Tony’s back.  Tony had never even bothered to put a shirt on after he got out of the shower and Steve chucked his off so he wouldn’t be as hot under the covers.  Steve traced his hand over Tony’s chest.

“I love you.” He whispered into Tony’s ear.

Tony twisted his legs with Steve’s from behind. “Love you too.”

 

~*~

Tony got progressively worse over the next few years.  He was back to alcoholism and hiding from his problems.  Steve was increasingly frustrated with his lack of response from Tony.  Tony was locking himself in his workshop for weeks, with very little liquids and food in his system.  He couldn’t build anything, either.  He had little use of his hands and his speech was constantly slurred – and it wasn’t from the alcohol.  Eventually, Steve came down one day and forced his way in, snapping at Tony for being ridiculous about the entire situation.  Anyone could have seen the way Tony shut down at that.  He ended up kicking Steve out and locking the door again, removing all access codes.

Tony grabbed a gun and JARVIS became alarmed.  He held it to his head as JARVIS tried to coax him from ending his life.

But it didn’t matter.  He was just so fucking done.

 

They found Tony's deteriorated brain on the walls of his workshop with his body sprawled face down on the floor.

**Author's Note:**

> I just really needed character death right now.  
> Alert me of any mistakes and leave a nice comment below?  
> Or just yell at me for killing him. That would be cool, too.


End file.
